Amazon is scaling its “Shop Direct” program, a strategic initiative that allows U.S. consumers to discover and purchase products directly from third-party retailers that are not listed within the Amazon marketplace. Announced this Wednesday, the expansion integrates third-party product feeds, enabling Amazon to surface inventory, pricing, and catalog data from external merchants directly into its search results and AI-driven shopping assistant, Rufus.
Streamlining Integration with Third-Party Feeds
To facilitate this real-time data exchange, Amazon has officially added support for product feeds from industry providers including Feedonomics, Salsify, and CedCommerce. The company confirmed plans to onboard additional feed providers and launch a dedicated merchant portal soon, which will allow retailers to manage their direct feeds without intermediaries.
This initiative builds upon a beta test launched in February 2025, designed to bridge the gap when Amazon’s internal inventory fails to meet a user’s search query. By directing shoppers to external sites, Amazon ensures it remains the primary starting point for product discovery, while providing users with clear notifications that they are navigating away from the Amazon ecosystem.
AI-Powered Purchasing with ‘Buy for Me’
A core component of this update is the integration of “Buy for Me,” an AI-driven service that automates the checkout process on third-party websites. When a user identifies a product, the AI agent handles the transaction flow on the customer’s behalf.
The AI bot manages the input of delivery addresses, tax calculations, shipping fees, and payment methods. Users retain final control, simply confirming the order details before the transaction is finalized. These orders are consolidated within the standard “Your Orders” tab on Amazon, ensuring a unified tracking experience for the consumer.
Strategic Implications for the Retail Market
While the program offers brands significant exposure, it also provides Amazon with granular insights into consumer behavior outside its platform. By tracking which products and price points gain traction, Amazon can refine its own internal business strategies, identify trends, and evaluate potential candidates for its “Buy with Prime” service. The program is now live for U.S. customers across Amazon.com, the mobile application, and the Rufus AI assistant.